Rose of Tralee 2017: Recap the first night of The 58th International Rose of Tralee Selection

Presenter Dáithí Ó Sé with Rose of Tralee contestants during a introduction of the International Roses hoping to make it through to the 2017 International Rose Television Selections on RTÉ One at Malahide Castle, Dublin (Image: Gareth Chaney Collins)

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Welcome to our live blog for the Rose of Tralee competition.

We'll bring you all the updates from the hugely popular event both tonight and tomorrow night as the winner is picked from some 32 competitors.

We'll see interviews of the Roses from host Daithi O Se and plenty more to come in Kerry.

Chicago Rose Maggie McEldowney won last year and she will be there on Tuesday to crown this year's Rose of Tralee.

Key Events

Conclusion of day one

That’s all from us tonight - we’re going to do this all over again tomorrow night, so hope you join us again.

I’ll leave you with this. Expect more tomorrow!

Thanks for reading, goodnight.

23:40Brynmor Pattison

Tipperary Crystal gets a plug. And there’s a competition.

That’s it for tonight, Daithi is signing off. Shane Filan plays tomorrow night, when the rest of the Roses will be interviewed and the winner will be chosen.

23:35Brynmor Pattison

She’s going to sing Feels Like Home, as the final performance tonight.

Unfortunately it seems that’s all the RTE Player crowd are getting.

23:34Brynmor Pattison

She’s going out with the boyfriend, Ronan, for eight years. Daithi is beside himself.

“There’s a lot to do before we get married yet,” says Aishling. Jaysus.

23:34Brynmor Pattison

52 women went for the Cork selection this year. They’re out to support her tonight. “It goes to show that the festival isn’t dated, it’s getting increasing numbers.”

23:32Brynmor Pattison

She’s working with Apple, since... Monday. Wow. After “four wonderful years” in UCC.

23:31Brynmor Pattison

Cork Rose Aishling O’Connor is the last one in, from Aghada.

23:30Brynmor Pattison

The keyboard player has cracked a fart joke using his instrument as Daithi is on his hands and knees. We’ve arrived.

23:28Brynmor Pattison

“Get down on all fours there.” We’re doing yoga now.

23:28Brynmor Pattison

So smiley.

23:28Brynmor Pattison

Aisling tells a nasty story about how a glass snapped her thumb in half. She had to have a few operations and... well surgeons had to put a rod through it.

She got stopped at Christmas time in the airport. Aisling told her sob story to a security guard, patting her down, who she thought was going to hug her, but said “I’m just trying to pat your back there”. Mortifying.

23:25Brynmor Pattison

She did science in Trinity for a bit but then went to Liverpool to do therapy.

Aisling is working in a hospital in Wirral.

23:24Brynmor Pattison

“You haven’t stopped smiling since the second I met you,” says Daithi. Aisling is very smiley.

23:23Brynmor Pattison

That was nice. Second last now is Yorkshire Rose Aisling McArdle.

23:21Brynmor Pattison

Nicole got together with a friend to write some lyrics for a song about the Rose of Tralee. She’s performing it now - good voice.

23:19Brynmor Pattison

Her sisters are minding the farm, along with her dad. “I hope he’s watching,” she says. Both of her parents are volunteers with the local GAA club.

On Armagh’s failed championship run - “It’ll happen.”

23:16Brynmor Pattison

She has a degree in leisure and events management and “sleeps all day”. Nicole’s dress has also gone down well with the people out there.

23:15Brynmor Pattison

Up next is Armagh Rose Nicole McKeown, who manages a band.

23:15Brynmor Pattison

Amanda’s taken out a picture of Daithi’s father, of all people. She drew it. A slight hush in the audience before the applause. Daithi says it’s “absolutely beautiful”.

23:14Brynmor Pattison

She says the Rose of Tralee has been “a light in the darkness” and “something to smile about”. Amanda considers herself lucky to be here.

23:12Brynmor Pattison

She says the Berkeley incident was “one of the darkest moments” of her life. But the diaspora really helped her. She came to Ireland and stayed in Kerry afterwards and a woman recognised her off the news. The woman had a book of condolences from people all over the world. It showed “how much the Irish cared about each other”.

23:11Brynmor Pattison

She’d like to have a go on a particle accelerator, the “rock star of the physics world”.

23:09Brynmor Pattison

Many saying she has the nicest dress of the evening. Amanda is studying physics, with a minor in maths.

23:08Brynmor Pattison

Amanda Donohoe, the San Francisco Rose, is here now.

The 19-year-old lost a sister and cousin in the Berkeley balcony collapse in June 2015.

23:06Brynmor Pattison

Nearly over for the evening.

23:02Brynmor Pattison

There’s a break, last part to come shortly.

23:01KEY EVENT

Escort Of The Year announced

Thomas Lynch, Paul Fitzgerald and Daniel McLaughlin get the big nods.

The winner is - Thomas Lynch!

22:59Brynmor Pattison

After a montage of the escorts, it’s time for the Escort Of The Year. There they all are now.

22:57Brynmor Pattison

Singing Danny Boy in Chinese has Twitter a-flutter. Fair play to her.

22:56Brynmor Pattison

That was bizarre, but amazing. And you probably wouldn’t ever hear it anywhere else.